Leading up to the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival, La Jolla Today has featured several interviews with professionals in the fashion and film industries. Check out these Q&As with leading experts in fashion, photography and design. Jacques Dequeker
French-Brazilian Jacques Dequeker is a self-taught photographer who works regularly with Vogue Brazil, Vogue Portugal, French Marie Claire, Glamour Paris, V Magazine and more. Q: How much did you know about La Jolla before hearing about the Festival?
A: I got involved in the second edition of LJFFF. [Festival director] Fred Sweet contacted me and invited me for the festival with three of my films. It was amazing be a part of it.
Q: Do you feel international events like LJFFF can bring people together in ways the Internet and Facebook can’t?
A: Yes. Last year, I created the first fashion film festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was a great experience. I got films from many top directors and photographers and put them together. It was a dream, and I think this is a new movement that could pull people with the same feelings and creativity together.
Q: How did you get involved with fashion film?
A: Five years ago, I heard about the RED camera and the Canon 5D, that they could film easily, and I started experimenting with them. I fell in love with this new wave and it became my passion. Since then, I have created more than 120 fashion films.
Q: What are the important elements that make a fashion film successful?
A: We never really know, but I think perfect timing is very important. There are interesting films that become boring when they run on too long.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?
A: Try, try, try. Maxine Van-Cliffe Arakawa
Costume designer and fashion editor Maxine Van-Cliffe Arakawa is the creator of Maxine Digital Magazine and has worked as a designer in films like “Another Nine and a Half Weeks.”
Q: How much did you know about La Jolla before hearing about the Festival? A: I had heard of it but did not know what I know now!
Q: Do you feel international events like LJFFF can bring people together in ways the Internet and Facebook can’t? A: I think they have a positive effect on each other, and both have influence on us all through fashion.
Q: What do you look for in fashion films? A: When I watch a fashion film, I want to be inspired, as I was when I saw the recent biography of Diana Vreeland, who actually started my career.
Q: What will be the impact of fashion films on fashion marketing in the future? A: I think they will become more and more of a tool in the promotion and marketing of brands. The next big influence on the market will be “The Great Gatsby” — every brand has done a version of the Gatsby look before the movie even had a release date. GK Reid
Designer and celebrity stylist GK Reid has created looks for Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, David Bowie, Anne Hathaway and many more. He has collaborated with music-video directors and photographers, and his advertising campaigns include L’Oreal, DeBeers, Hugo Boss, Shiseido, Pepsi, Puma and Nike. Q: How much did you know about La Jolla before hearing about the Festival?
A: The festival introduced me to La Jolla for the first time. So beautiful — I love it. I can’t wait to get back there.
Q: Do you feel international events like LJFFF can bring people together in ways the Internet and Facebook can’t?
A: Absolutely! LJFFF is the perfect catalyst to bring together talented artists, producers, their creative teams, casts and fans from around the globe. I don’t think this could happen another way. People want to be there to share their passion and their ideas first hand. It’s exhilarating and engaging in an incredibly relaxed and gorgeous setting. It’s difficult to imagine the same experience online.
Q: How have fashion films affected the world of fashion media and blogging?
A: Fashion films are really exploding on the scene with a fast-growing worldwide audience. The appetite for good fashion film is testament to why this festival is here today, LJFFF being one of the pioneers in bringing together the best of fashion films from everywhere.
Q: What do you look for in fashion films?
A: I look to be surprised. I look for intelligent beauty, a good story and great fashion.
Q: What will be the impact of fashion films on fashion marketing in the future?
A: Fashion film is still very young, but it’s bound to quickly become a giant. It’s going to change the publishing business for good. Innovators like [festival director] Fred Sweet are helping to shape this serious impact in a positive way.